FMA Moments

Another Sign of Maturity

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After a long and drawn out verbal report to the Colonel, Edward Elric sighed and slouched in his chair, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Mustang shook his head and leaned back.

"Was that all?" he asked.

Ed nodded once.

"Yeah. I think we got the last of them out by that point. Not much more we could've done by then, anyway..."

Mustang cut him off with a gesture. It was obvious that both boys were suffering from various degrees of what had come to be known as 'Elric guilt depression', for which neither would truly accept the help of any other than their brother. At least this time, the incident really hadn't been their fault.

"I think I understand the situation, Fullmetal. Or at least as well as I'm ever going to." To illustrate his next point, the Colonel slid a hand through his hair. "Honestly – the number of stunts you keep on pulling. . . at this rate, I'm going to be getting gray hairs."

Lifted slightly out of his stupor, Ed snorted.

"Well, you did say you wanted to be taken more seriously for a man in your rank."

. . . Which had, of course, prompted Lieutenant Hawkeye to draw whisker marks on his face when he had suggested facial hair. Not what he had been after, and it had taken weeks to get off.

He raised an eyebrow at the idea given him by his subordinate. It was a possibility, but...

"Not a chance, Fullmetal. Your usual escapades give me enough gray hairs without you actually trying."

Ed smirked widely and threw a mock salute at the Colonel, dismissing himself.

Roy supposed that he should feel worried, far more worried than he actually was, when the elder Elric brother started to talk to his team a lot more than usual. . . sometimes eliciting laughter from his subordinates.

He should have expected that first slew of practical jokes. He really should have.

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AN: Continuation of the official omake of one volume, where Mustang says he isn't being taken seriously due to his youth, so he wants facial hair to make himself look older. Hawkeye ends up drawing cat's whiskers on his face in marker :P